clark



N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. n. 19!].

1,314,505. 121mm Svpt. 2, 1919.

, 2 SHEETS SHEET l.

qg 1 37 J6 0 (Z3: 34 m J 5 wvemtoz NORRIS MORE CLARK, Q]? rnsmvnmn,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB '1'0 ROBERT Si. ALLY'H, TRUSTEE, OF NEW "YORK, N.Y.

EXPANDED-METAL MACHIN'E. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1 919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nonnrs Emrom: CLARK, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Plainville, Conn, have invented a. new anduseful Expanded- Metal Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

Myinvention relates particularly to mechanism for straightening andfinishing an expanded metal fabric having relatively deep ribs such asshown in my Patents #1,10.t, l76 and #1,12s,659.-

Such fabrics when expanded are quite likely to be more or less warpedand the ribs are likely to be curved or somewhat irregular. It is myparticular object by the mechanism herein shown and claimed to so treatthe ribs and meshwork that the ribs will be perfectly straight and thefabric lie perfectly fiat.

In its preferred form the invention contemplates the use of a series offeeding disks for engaging the ribs to feed the fabric in, a. series ofrolls and disks for controlling the ribs and delivering the fabric and aseries of independently adjustable straightening disks for each rib ofthe fabrlc. The housings for supporting the rolls'are especiallydesigned to facilitate construction and adjustment.

Figure 1, is a plan view of mechanism embodying the improvements of myinvention, one of the housings being shown in section and one oftheupper trains of disks for handling one of the ribs being omitted so asto show the corresponding lower train of disks.

Fig. 2, is a side view of the same, one of the housings being omittedand the housing in-the rear being shown partly in section.

Fig. -3, is a transverse sectional view showing the guides Ior one ofthe marginal ribs on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is a section of one of the straighten-.

sectional view of one of the housings and its support.

The lower in-feeding disk's 10 are carried by a shaft 11 and the upperin-feeding disks 12 are carried by the shaft 13. The outfeeding rolls14: and disks 15 are carried by the shaft 16 and the out-feeding rolls17 and disks 18 are carried by the shaft 19.

. The housings 20 for supporting the shafts and the straighteningmechanism are supported by the upper flanges of I-beams 21. Tofacilitate manufacture the lower end of each housing is formed with tworows of lugs 22 and 22' with transverse spaces 23 between them andinclined shoulders 9A, 24' above them. The lower faces of the lugs maybe finished to afford an accurate seat for the housing on the top of theI-beain. Clamps 25 and 25' are adapted to fit the opposite sides of thehousing and be drawn together by bolts 26 so as to draw the housing downtight against the I-beam. Opposite housings may be connected togetherfor instance, by angle irons such as 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32 so as tohold the housings rigidly and also to afford supports for other parts ifdesired. Each shaft has at each end a box 34 movable vertically in theopening 35 in the corresponding housing. Each box has four flanges suchas 36, one at each corner and the housing adjacent each box is providedwith a finished seat 37 and shoulder 38 adapted to receive a finishedgib which also fits the finished flange 36 and adjacent vertical wall ofthe box so as to afford accurate vertical guides. Opposite gibs areclamped together by bolts 40 which fit loosely in recesses 41 in thehousing. Each box of each lower shaft may be raised vertically by ascrew 42 and each box of each upper shaft may be pressed downward by ascrew 43.

By making each lower box of a thickness greater than the distancebetween its oppo' site seats 37, the box may. be clamped by the gibs 39and bolts 40.

A train of straightening disks or rolls 45, 46, L7, 48, and 49 isrovided for each rib. The two upper straig tening disks for each rib arecarried by longitudinally extending members made up of the two side bars50 and 51 connected at each end by a block such as 52 which is securedby a bolt 53 to one of the upper cross angle bars such as 28.- Each ofthe straightening disks has a bear ing stud 54 mounted in a yoke 55pivoted at 56. The opposite end of the yoke has a lug 57 which projectsinto an opening in a member 58 which is grooved on the sides to fit theside bars 50, 51. An adj member 59 has a screwthreaded part fitting thethreaded'hole in the member 58 and its lower end passes freely throughthe lug 57 of the yoke. Collars orshoulders 60, 61 carried by the member59 afiord stops for lug 57 so that by rotating the screw 59 up or downthe lug and yoke may be correspondingly adjusted so as to raise or lowerthe rib straightenin disk 45. The lower straightening dis are carried bysimilar yokes such as 62. The free ends of which are verticallyadjustable in .U-shape members 63 and adapted to be raised by adjustingscrews 64:.

A guide 65 may be provided in line with each of the lower disks 10 tosupport and direct the corresponding rib. A guide 66 extends from eachdisk 10 to the first straightening disk 47 of the corresponding train.An upper ide 67 extends from the upper disk 12 a ove the meshwork. Alateral guide 68 extends along the side of the guide 66 so as to holdtheside of the rib in place and direct the fabric as well as the rib atthis point. Guides 69 and 70 similar to 66-and 67 are also preferablyprovided between the last straightening disk 49 and the delivery disk.By adjusting the upperrand lower straightening disks relative to eachother any irregularity in any rib may be. taken out without afi'ectingany of the other ribs.

. The cross section of the disks will of course depend upon the crosssectional shape of the ribs of the fabric. Fig. 6 shows in full sizedscale one cross sectional shape of fabric and disks. The disks 10 and 12may be of the same cross sectional shape as the disks 15 and 18 .butthey are so adjusted as to engage the stock at the flanges of the ribsand thus effect the feeding of the fabric by engagement with theflanges. The cross sectional shape of the straightening disks will besubstantially the same as the disks 1Q, 12, 15, and 18 but the ooves inthe upper disks may be slightly eeper so as to prevent the disks frombinding'on the tops of the ribs; The delivery rolls 14 and. 17 are ofsuch a diameter as to somewhat crush the meshwor-k and set it inadefinite plane thus removin any tendency to buckle which the mes workmay have. The disks 15 and 18 are of such a diameter relative to therolls 14 and 17 that the disks do not bind upon the stock but merelyserve to guide the ribs through the rolls and hold them from lateralmovement in either direction while the rolls 14 and 17 are setting themeshwork.

. The su porting angle iron 30 may be slotted as at 1 to permit themarginal straightemng roll holders to-be laterally adjusted. Bycorrespondingly adjusting the lateral islands positions of the marginaldisks 15 and 18 it is possible to provide a lateral spreading orcontracting action so as to decrease or increase the width as'desired.

The shaft 11 maybe provided with a sprocket for driving it and a chain76 may connect the two lower shafts so as to drive the delivery rolls 14and 17 at the same peripheral speed as the flanges of the disks 10 Theupper and lower shafts may be connected by gears such as shown at 77 inFig. 1 so to drive the upper disks as well as the lower if desired.

It will be obvious that this mechanism may be used by itself or it maybe used as a part of mechanism for expanding or ribhing a fabric. Itwill also be obvious that the fabric may be otherwise treated afterdelivery from the finishing rolls of this mechanism.

I claim 1. In an expanded metal machine, coeperating upper and lowerdisks for engaging the ribs of a ribbed expanded fabric to feed thesame, trains of disks for straightening the individual ribs,coiiperating rolls at opposite sides of the fabric engaging the meshworkbetween the ribs to set the meshwork rolls for maintaining the ribsspaced apart at definite distances. 7 v

2. In a machine for finishing ribbed fabric, two pairs of drivingshafts, sets of feed disks on one pair of shafts adjusted to en gage theflanges of the ribs only to feed the fabric by engagement therewith,sets of disks on the second pair of shafts arranged in line with thedisks on the first pair of shafts and Shaped to guide the ribs of thefabric without binding upon the stock and delivery rolls onsaid secondpair of shafts arranged between the disks of said shafts to engage the,meshwork and feed out the fabric and straightening disks arrangedbetween said pairs of shafts in line with the disks thereon forstraightening the ribs.

' 3. In a machine for finishing ribbed fabric, two pairs of drivingshafts spaced apart longitudinally of the machine, feed disks mounted onone pair of shafts for engaging the ribs of the fabric to feed the same,guide disks mounted on the other pair of shafts in line with the feeddisks, trains of straightening disks arranged between the feed disks andthe guide disks, the shape of the cross section of the straighteningdisks being such with central ribs and lateral grooves, upper disksco-acting therewith and provided wlth central grooves and lateralflanges adapted to grip the flanges only of a ribbed fabric to feed thesame, a plurality of trains of straightening disks in line withsaid'feed disks, means for independently adjusting disks, means forengaging the ribs to feed the fabric into the said straightening disksand rolls for engaging the meshwork of the fabric between the ribs fordelivering it from the machine.

6. In an expanded metal machine, disks for feeding a ribbed expandedfabric, upper and lower sets of straightening disks for the ribs,lateral guides for the marginal ribs located between the in-feedingdisks and the straightening disks, spaced rib-guiding disks and upperand lower mesh-engaging rolls at opposite sides of the fabric engagingthe meshwork for feeding the fabric out.

7. In an expanded metal machine, upper and lower sets of adjustable ri'bstraightening disks, upper and lower sets of rib-guiding disks and upperand lower sets of meshsetting rolls on the same axis with the ribguidingdisks, disposed at opposite sides of the fabric and engaging the meshwork for delivering and finishing the fabric.

8. In an expanded metal machine, longitudinally extending side barsyokes hinged between the said side bars, freely rotatable straighteningdisks carried by said okes and means for adjusting the height 0 saidyokes and disks.

9. In an expanded metal machine, 10 'tudinally extending side bars,yokes hmge between the said side bars, freely rotatable straighteningdisks carried by said yokes, means for adjusting the height of saidyokes and disks, com rising laterally grooved members fittin e side barsand a screw adjustable in eac member and coacting with the end of thecorrsponding yoke opposite its bined end.

10. 1 a machine for finishing a ribbed fabric, a lurality of lower feeddisks provided wit central ribs and lateral grooves, upper disksco-acting therewith and provi ed with central grooves and lateralflanges adapted to grip the flanges only of a ribbed fabric to feed thesame, a plurality of trains of straightening disks in line with saidfeed disks, means for independently adjusting said straightening disks,delivery rolls adjusted to engage the fabric between the ribs so as tosomewhat crush the same, guides for the ribs adjacent said deliveryrolls and means for driving the delivery rolls at substantially the sameperipheral speed as the flanges of the feed disks.

11.7 In a machine for finishing a ribbed fabric, a'plurality of'lowerfeed disks provided with central ribs and lateral grooves, upper disksco-acting therewith and provided with central grooves and lateralflanges adapted to grip the flanges only of a ribbed fabric to feed thesame, a plurality of trains of straightening disks in line with saidfeed disks, means for independently adjusting said straightening disks,and means for feeding the fabric away from the straightening disks.

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK.

